ANOTHER 5G mast proposed for Chester has been rejected – the 13th this year.

Applicants Cignal Infrastructure UK had submitted a proposal to Cheshire West and Chester Council for a 20-metre 5G phone mast to be built on Parkgate Road, near the University of Chester's Exton Park campus, by the junction of Hayes Park. It would come with additional equipment cabinets.

The UK is planning to roll-out 5G coverage across the nation as an infrastructure upgrade, with 3G coverage being gradually switched off by telecoms firms from January next year.

In a planning statement, the applicants said: "The very nature of installing new 5G mast infrastructure within such an urban setting requires a highly considered balance between the need to extend practical coverage reach with that of increasing risk of visual amenity intrusion.

"In this location, existing mast sites are not capable of supporting additional equipment compliment to extend coverage reach across the target area and prospective ‘in-fill’ mast sites are extremely limited.

"There is an acute need for a new base station to provide effective service coverage and in this case, the height of the proposed street pole is the minimum required to bring the benefits of 5G to this area.

"The proposed site option is considered the best available compromise between extending 5G service across the target ‘coverage hole’ with the selected street works pole height and associated antenna and ground-based cabinets restricted to the minimum height which is capable of providing the required essential coverage."

Unlike many of the other 5G mast applications submitted to the local authority, no objections had been received for this proposal.

But a planning officer for Cheshire West and Chester Council said: "Owing to the relative openness of the site and its surroundings together with the presence of predominantly two storey residential buildings surrounding the site, it is considered that the siting of the proposed mast would create a highly incongruous feature that would be at odds with the character and appearance of the surrounding area.

"The proposed mast would significantly taller and more prominent than nearby buildings, which would exacerbate its prominence in the street scene."

The officer added the nearby street lamps are "slimline" by comparison, and no higher than 10.5 metres.

No camouflage had been proposed, but the officer added that would not make a difference in this case due to the prominence of the proposed mast.

The council ruled prior permission was needed for the mast and refused the application.

It is the 13th to be turned down this year.

The other 12 are:

  • A 17-metre mast in Alpraham Crescent, Upton
  • A 16-metre mast in Newtown Lane
  • A 15-metre mast in Castle Croft Road, Westminster Park
  • A 15-metre mast at the junction of Appleyards Lane/Hartington Street
  • A 15-metre mast on the A41 Mostyn Road
  • A 17-metre mast on Christleton Road, Boughton
  • An 18-metre mast on Thirlmere Road, Hoole
  • A 15-metre mast on Vicars Cross Road, Great Boughton
  • An 18-metre mast on Liverpool Road, near the Fountains Roundabout
  • A 20-metre mast on Victoria Crescent/Queens Park Road
  • A 16-metre mast on Blacon Point Road
  • A 20metre mast on Western Avenue, Blacon

The only mast to have been approved was for a 16-metre 5G mast on land off Stadium Way.